UBC produces teachers with an international outlook—and ambitions to match

Author: Catherine McIntyre

February 2, 2018

What differentiates the IB method of teaching from the traditional public school model is vague but signiﬁcant. The teaching philosophy was launched in 1968 by a group based in Geneva, Switzerland, who sought to modernize the educational system; it’s now used at 4,775 schools around the world. UBC’s faculty of education describe the approach with terms like “international-mindedness,” “inquiry-based education” and “learner proﬁle.” Ultimately, though, the difference is that instructors teach to speciﬁc goals or learning outcomes rather than teaching prescribed assignments. That opens up countless doors to how they can guide students to understand concepts and develop skills and knowledge. It means teachers have the luxury of being creative, and the responsibility to adapt their lessons to every student.